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Learn Business English Phrases: own up to your mistakes

Updated: Feb 1

Learn Business English phrases with our Phrase of the Week!


Each week, we introduce a new phrase to help you sound more natural and confident in your professional communication.


For extra practice, you can download the flashcards—just scroll down to the bottom of the page.


This Week's Phrase:


OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES

phrase

to admit that you did something wrong and take responsibility for it


It's important to own up to your mistakes and find a way to fix them.


Owning up to your mistakes shows professionalism and maturity.



OWN UP to something/ doing something

phrasal verb

to tell the truth about something wrong you did


They owned up to breaking the rules.


She owned up to losing the keys.


It took him a while but he finally owned up to his actions.



Listen to the phrase, definition, and example sentences below. Click on each picture to hear the audio.




Learn more Business English phrases with mistakes


Let’s take a look at more Business English expressions with mistakes.


Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.




KEY

 

Let's Chat!


Have you ever made a costly mistake at work?

Yes, unfortunately. I forgot to save an important document, and it got deleted. I had to do all the work again. That was a disaster! It took so much time! It was a costly mistake, and now I always make sure to save my files before turning off my laptop. (Arkady, B1-level learner)

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve learned from in your career?

I think I didn't ask for help when I needed it. This was my biggest mistake. I tried to do everything alone. Now I know that it is ok to ask for help. So, I've learned from my mistake. (Olga, A2/B1-level learner)

How do you feel when someone refuses to own up to their mistakes at work?

It’s incredibly frustrating when someone refuses to own up to their mistakes. I believe it undermines trust. I know, mistakes are inevitable, but taking responsibility for them is very very important. When someone avoids responsibility, it always leads to so much time wasted! (Paulo, C1-level learner)
 
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